Glide!
As surfers, as Co-Waterpersons of the Year in waiting, we know how important the ocean’s waves are to our overall way of life. Without them we’d be but clanging gongs. But YouTube sensation Ben Gravies sliding down funny little boat wakes and storm gutters and whatnots having the absolute times of our lives but… not really surfing.
Oh, I take absolutely nothing away from Ben Gravy, he is our world’s happy smile, but… the ocean’s waves are why most of us do what we do. Why we wake up early, get cold on purpose etc.
Thankfully, there is a way to honor the waves that mean something… more. Waves that have imprinted themselves, indelibly, on our psyches.
In 2009, “Save The Waves Coalition, along with key partners National Surfing Reserves (NSR) Australia and the International Surfing Association (ISA), launched World Surfing Reserves. The program serves as a global model for preserving wave breaks and their surrounding areas by recognizing and protecting the key environmental, cultural, economic and community attributes of surfing areas.”
Very fine.
It is a lengthy process to have a wave, or region I suppose, declared a World Surf Reserve. Applications and voting etc. but yesterday Noosa there on Australia’s Sunshine Coast joined the ranks of Malibu, Ericeria, Manly Beach, Santa Cruz, Huanchaco, Bahia de Todos Santos, Australia’s Gold Coast, Punta de Lobos and Guarda do Embaú to become the tenth World Surfing Reserve.
Noosa has always been leading the way on how to protect surf ecosystems and critical coastal habitats proactively and simultaneously benefit local people and the economy,” said Nik Strong-Cvetich, executive director of Save The Waves.
Layne Beachley and Noosa’s mayor were on hand to celebrate the declaration, the day, and bravo Noosa.
Now, are there any places we should push as a World Surfing Reserve/
What about where World Surf League CEO and Lord Commander over The Wall of Positive Noise Erik Logan cut his supping teeth?
Manhattan Beach, California.
Can we all get behind this?
Yes?
Or Surf Ranch, Lemoore?
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I don’t know what any of this means.
It’s all just “QKhjnfskladjhnskj asckj asuhca scoiascoi ascknoai sc as.,qiq qwwoi asolkcn asoicj op “
My glasses are on and I’m not dyslexic.
This is all about getting your name on a plaque and a little monument to how important some people think they are in the surfing community.
It’s nothing to do with protecting the ocean . Just human ego and self promotion.
The WSL Noosa longboard contest was a joke. Crap waves every time I checked. I say drop some riprap out there. Spice it up
It has guaranteed that the Manly locals have access to a minimum 25% eurotrash backpackers in the local population to romance and rip off.
We used to say in lifeguarding that “If common sense was common, we’d be out of a job”.
Umm. you can do more than one thing at a time.
Well currently the Qld govt is figuring out legislation to actively protect the Gold Coast WSR.
The big issue with all these Reserves etc has been lack of legal force. Without laws to protect the surfing amenity in a Reserve against things like foreshore development, attempts to limit access etc etc, the Reserve idea is little more than a tourism sales tool.
We’ll see what the legislation looks like when drafted but if it lives up to what the minister involved has said both privately and publicly, there won’t be any more cruise ship terminal nonsense foisted on the Goldie, for one thing.
On the south Goldie… spit will be still in firing line
Yes, Nick as you and I have discussed the legal protection is the biggest issue for the WSRs to pull off in multiple countries with differing legal systems, however there have been multiple wins due to WSRs: Punta de Lobos being purchased and protected in Chile, Huanchaco, Peru being protected by nat’l law and stopping a series of 16 jetties, San Miguel gaining status as a state park in Mexico (forthcoming), water quality improved in Santa Cruz, not to mention stopping Tate’s cruiseship dreams in the southern Goldie. I am just glad it is getting enough buzz to be made fun of on here.
Ah the mention of Ben Gravy brought a smile to my face! As anti-depressive as beachgrit. In an era when pros are being put to the sword, he is driving around in a sweet new Subaru!
Protection of an area already under protection from the threats mentioned for 50 odd years due to the effort of the Noosa Parks Association. Back in the day, some bright spark had an idea to create a ‘Moffat Headland style development in the area now known as the Noosa National Park.The NPA formed to counter that proposal with a space that could be preserved for all.
I’d like to know how World Surfing Reserve status actually benefits us local surfers?
I can be overly cynical about too many things, but the efforts of locals (including the NPA) to stave off the barbarians raping the bays of Noosa? Thank you
Talking to some of the people involved at the time, the thing that is most amazing is the brashness of the guys coming in with the dollars and their surprise that they weren’t given carte blanche.
Ouch!
Straight up slaying dem fools with that LGR!
No need for the coroner. Deadicated On Arrival.
But aren’t we bulldozing the Sunshine coast to build a surf ranch already?
Tawfeeq al-Shabaab says (loosely translated from his native Arabic), “Fuck the idea of World Surf Reserves. Stupid idea from Australo-American, longboarder corporatist, imperialist swine! Speech and slogans will not help take back surfing… brah, surf infidels…”
So basically this means that now that Noosa is a World Surfing Reserve they argue it is necessary several times each year to permit Big Game Surfer Trophy hunters because permitting fees go directly to efforts by war dens that fight resource poaching. Why aren’t the eco-warriors up in arms about this? Oh that’s right, they have no reservations engaging in unmitigated logging at Noosa.
Dear Chas,
Question: Of whom in Noosa did you interview for this article with your name upon it?
Why did not ‘LongTom’ nor Derek Reilly, Australianz, from what I’ve read, write of this story?
Me just finds it odd to read some~one writings, whom resides on the other side of thee world,
’bout local stories of which ya don’t really know the local impact of an issue,
dig?
I appreciate your concern but as I am a citizen of the world, and this is a world surf reserve issue, it falls under my purview.
As does the WSPL.
World Shark-Punching League.